South Korean Soldier Kills Eight

South Korean soldiers mourn over the victims of a shooting spree at a military hospital in Yangju

A South Korean soldier in a front-line unit went on a rampage early Sunday, killing eight of his fellow soldiers and wounding two others.

The 22-year-old private, identified by his surname "Kim," threw a grenade into a barracks of sleeping soldiers in Yeoncheon county near the border with North Korea, then opened fire with a rifle.

The Yonhap news agency says two wounded soldiers were airlifted to a hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening. Private Kim told authorities he was angry because a senior soldier had verbally abused him.

In a televised statement, Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung issued an apology, vowing that the armed forces would take necessary steps to prevent any such incidents in the future.